Illegal electricity connection claims life in Thyolo

An illegal electricity connection in Luchenza’s Municipality, Thyolo on Tuesday cost a life of a man after being electrocuted by bare wires in his house in a desperate attempt to rescue his daughter and wife who were the first to be in contact with uninsulated wires.

08March

The man, identified as Gerald Sawuli, met his fate on Tuesday morning when he heard his wife and daughter screaming for help.

“He rushed from his bed to see what was happening at the lounge and found both wife and daughter down on the floor. When he tried to help them, he was also in for the electric shock,” said Thyolo Police Public Relations Officer, Amos Tione.

Tione said all the three who were in comma, were rushed to the nearby Chonde Health Centre where the man was pronounced dead on arrival.

“The mother and daughter were admitted and are responding well to treatment,” the police publicist told Malawi News Agency (Mana) in an interview.

A visit by Mana to the house of the deceased which is one of the small houses attached to a main building behind Chris Corner Bottle Store revealed that the electricity illegally was tapped from the main building with visible loose cables in the walls.

One of the occupants of the small units, only known as Judie, said they were leaving in the houses at their own risk because when it rains, one can feel the power current through the walls.

“We know the connections were done illegally but we stay because we are desperate, anyway. We can’t afford better houses out there,” said Judie.

She added that sometimes even the wires for drying clothes were affected by the electric current because they are joined to the walls of the houses.

“It is really dangerous leaving here, I wish ESCOM authorities could come and see for themselves,” she appealed.

Efforts by Mana to talk to ESCOM proved futile since officials in Luchenza referred the reporter to the corporation’s communications manager whose phone could not be reached.

Sawuli hailed from Makapwa Village in the area of Traditional Authority Nkalo in Chiradzulu District.